Heels and Hooveshttp://heelsandhooves.co.uk
Horse loving mummy to Lottie Bella with a weakness for pretty shoes.Sun, 11 Feb 2018 06:26:44 +0000en-UShourly1https://wordpress.org/?v=4.9.4http://heelsandhooves.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/cropped-favicon-32x32.jpgHeels and Hooveshttp://heelsandhooves.co.uk
3232Our baby’s Cow’s Milk Protein Allergy (CMPA) journeyhttp://heelsandhooves.co.uk/our-babys-cows-milk-protein-allergy-cmpa-journey/
http://heelsandhooves.co.uk/our-babys-cows-milk-protein-allergy-cmpa-journey/#respondSun, 11 Feb 2018 06:26:44 +0000http://heelsandhooves.co.uk/?p=2249If you read my last post, you’ll know about Frankie’s reflux. That was our reality for her first nine months of life, but the last few weeks have started to see an improvement. We are having good days. A few...

]]>If you read my last post, you’ll know about Frankie’s reflux. That was our reality for her first nine months of life, but the last few weeks have started to see an improvement. We are having good days. A few with no sick whatsoever! Halle-bloody-lujah! She still has bad days, but with some better ones, and a few hours more sleep, they are far easier to deal with.

So I wanted to explain how we reached our new, improved Frankie and a CMPA and non-IGE allergy diagnosis.

From day dot, I knew something wasn’t right. Aside from the sickness, she never comfortably settled to feed, always writhing around, crying, arching her back. She had excema all over her, which was passed off as newborn rash when it appeared , but quickly worsened, becoming red raw in places.

She also suffered with what I thought was hay fever. This started in spring and Dr Google told me it was highly unlikely, yet possible in a month-old baby. Her eyes were constantly streaming and she often woke, unable to breathe through her snuffly nose. Her nappies were horrific.

But aside from these physical symptoms, she was a constantly busy baby. I know some babies are just active, but she was rarely ever still or calm. She rolled over at three months, so uncomfortable on her back, that she defied milestones to get into a better position.

Despite all of this, though, she continued to put on weight and thrive. This fact, it seemed, made it difficult to be taken seriously.

At the first GP visit, we were prescribed infant Gaviscon and recommended comfort formula. Gaviscon made her horribly constipated and did nothing to relieve the sickness. So after a few weeks, we gave up.

The comfort formula reduced symptoms, and we began to visit a cranial osteopath. With these interventions, the excema became less angry and the respiratory problems lessened, so we accepted the sickness and nappies. We did try anti reflux formula but she point-blank refused it.

We’d been told repeatedly that ‘lots of babies are a bit sick’. So as other symptoms subsided, we felt we had to accept we just had a ‘sicky baby’.

It was only when Tesco was out of comfort formula when she was about three months old, that I realised the nappies had been worse and the sickness no different on comfort formula, so decided to try her back on first milk formula. BIG bloody mistake. The next few days were hell, she was throwing up constantly, screaming in pain, diarrhoea, runny eyes and nose and sore skin.

Although horrific to watch her suffer, this is what made me realise enough was enough. We’d put up with the sickness, but I realised that if I was being sick 30 times a day, I would be demanding to see a specialist, I’d be going to A&E. So why wasn’t I doing this for my baby?

Perhaps it was because most babies are a bit sick. Perhaps because the GP seemed to think I was ‘one of those mums’. Perhaps because she was putting on weight. I don’t know, but I do feel awful that I didn’t push for more help sooner.

I spent a long night researching Frankie’s symptoms and the ‘cures’. Comfort milk is hydrolised, meaning the milk proteins are broken down and easier to digest. Perhaps then, it was the cows milk protein causing the problem, as when it was hydrolised, the symptoms lessened. On further research into CMPA, she fitted most of the descriptions and I became sure she had some kind of allergy.

From then on, I decided I wasn’t going to be fobbed off again.

Back to the GP. A prescription for ranitidine.

A week later, no improvement.

Back to the GP.

A Nutramigen prescription (a hypoallergenic formula, even more hydrolised, but still cows milk based) and Carobel (a food thickener). A slight improvement, but still sickness and bad nappies.

The frustrating thing when you’re watching your baby suffer is that each solution needs a while to work. You need to give it time to get the last thing out of their system to see if the next thing is working.

It wasn’t.

Back to the GP. In comes crazy double buggy lady.

This time, an amino-acid based formula, Neocate.

I also asked for a paediatrician referral, but was put off as it ‘would take ages’ and encouraged just to go home and see how she went with the Neocate and a dairy free diet.

Meanwhile, in desperation, I booked a private paediatrician allergy specialist. We couldn’t go on like this, I was at breaking point. That sounds dramatic, I know. We weren’t facing death, but it felt like hell on earth.

Dr Chakravarti was the first person to take me seriously. More than that, he knew exactly what was happening with Frankie. He listened carefully, then started to second guess the answers to his questions (right every time) and quickly diagnosed non-IGE allergies and put her on a dairy and soya free diet, with restricted egg. He also prescribed omeprazole and an antihistamine.

By this point, though, Frankie had started to improve. She had periods of no sickness. An hour or so of relief here and there. The Neocate seemed to finally be doing its thing.

But still a few weeks later, even with a further improvement with medication, she was still being sick.

I took to Facebook. I am part of a hugely supportive and kind group of CMPA parents and sufferers. They told me Carobel could be the cause.

I spoke to Dr Chakravarti, who agreed we could try to remove the Carobel as the drugs should have worked by this point.

And that was the final link in our chain. We stopped adding it a few weeks ago now and slowly but very surely, her symptoms have been disappearing.

I finally have my happy, comfortable sunny baby back and it feels so good. To see her play, without being on sick watch. To be able to let her go and explore after a feed without holding her still to stop it coming back up. To watch her sleep peacefully. To see her content and calm (sometimes). It’s wonderful and was worth every ounce of fight.

It’s a learning curve to feed a baby on a dairy free diet. And soya free is a nightmare – you don’t realise how many things it’s in until you need to avoid it. But slowly you work out what you can and can’t give them and you find a new normal. You get used to reading every list of ingredients. And it’s all 100 per cent worth it.

We’re going back to the paediatrician soon for an update, Before we go, we need to reintroduce soya. Which I’ve been putting off for weeks now. When you’ve finally got onto an even keel, it seems so wrong to potentially upset her system again. But it’s not certain that she’s allergic to soya, it’s a similar protein to cows milk, so it’s often advised to eliminate both until baby is better.

If you’re still reading (it’s been a long post!), you’ve probably got a baby with allergies, or suspect you have. If you’ve not yet been diagnosed and accessed the help you need, please keep knocking on your GP’s door. Trust your gut. Your baby can be better with the right help.

]]>http://heelsandhooves.co.uk/our-babys-cows-milk-protein-allergy-cmpa-journey/feed/0The reality of infant refluxhttp://heelsandhooves.co.uk/the-reality-of-infant-reflux/
http://heelsandhooves.co.uk/the-reality-of-infant-reflux/#respondTue, 30 Jan 2018 06:41:22 +0000http://heelsandhooves.co.uk/?p=2244Since my littlest joined our family, the first hand experience of infant reflux that we have lived through from day dot has shown me just what this awful illness really is. Nearly every time I mention Frankie’s reflux to someone...

]]>Since my littlest joined our family, the first hand experience of infant reflux that we have lived through from day dot has shown me just what this awful illness really is.

Nearly every time I mention Frankie’s reflux to someone who doesn’t know her or us, they say ‘aah bless her, is she a bit sicky then?’

I’m not judging, I’d have probably said the same before I’d cared for a baby with reflux. But honestly, every time I hear those words, my heart sinks a bit. It makes me feel like I’m being a whinging old bat. That I’m massively overreacting. That I should shut up about it. I realise that’s rarely what’s meant, just as calling someone’s baby big probably isn’t meant to make them feel massively inadequate as a parent.

But please, next time someone tells you their baby has infant reflux, don’t ask if they’re a bit sick. Instead, give them a cuddle, make them tea, bring them cake and know that reflux isn’t just being a bit sick…

It’s mopping up the first bit of sick in the morning and resigning yourself to the fact that it’s the first of 30+ times you’ll do it that day

It’s changing the outfits of you and the baby for the fourth time that day and praying those jeans will last until bedtime as you no longer have any clean clothes in your wardrobe.

It’s not having enough muslins or wipes in the world. Ever.

It’s the feeling of hope at the latest cure or solution you’ve been offered. Only to be swiftly followed by the crushing disappointment when you realise it won’t work.

It’s declining invitations to friends’ houses as you are too embarrassed to spend an hour clearing up sick from their carpets and furniture just to make excuses and leave early anyway.

It’s dreading playgroups as you know you’ll spend the entire time anxiously awaiting the next vomiting episode, hoping it doesn’t hit another parent or their child.

It’s sitting up at 3am having not yet been to sleep, looking into the eyes of a tiny little person who’s suffering is constant. Feeling powerless and helpless and ultimately useless as a parent.

It’s posting in Facebook groups, desperate for answers and being overwhelmed by how many you receive. It’s feeling sad that so many babies and parents are living in the same hell as you.

It’s being a shit friend, daughter, sister because you simply don’t have the energy to give anyone other than your child the attention they deserve.

It’s guilt for the older sister who has to entertain herself too often while you clear up vomit.

It’s fear of what the drugs are doing to her tiny tummy.

It’s constantly being in the pharmacy dropping in repeat prescriptions for formula and medications.

It’s watching baby groups come to an abrupt and embarrassing halt as the leader mops up your child’s sick and everyone looks on at your baby, kindly telling you, ‘she’s just been a bit sick’.

It’s listening to the stomach acid gurgling around her little guts and wishing you could endure it instead of her.

It’s hearing people tell you that she’ll probably grow out of her allergies and hoping with all your being that they are right.

It’s not feeling you can leave her with anyone else because you’re embarrassed about the level of vomit they will have to mop up while you’re gone.

It’s fantasising about leaving her with someone and having an hour if not seeing any sick.

It’s grieving a little for the baby months that feel a bit like they were lost in a pool of sick.

It’s not being able to get a nappy on her because lying on her back makes the acid rise up her throat, causing her unbearable pain.

It’s feeling like an animal for holding her on her back long enough to clean her up and get that nappy on, knowing you’re causing her to feel even worse.

It’s secretly feeling pissed off at having to clear up another pile of sick as your husband quietly closes the front door and heads off to his vomit free office.

It’s opening the front door after the stables at 7am to be hit with the putrid smell of vinegar and knowing that today is going to be a particularly bad day.

It’s waking up at 4.30am day after day after day as her little body just can’t cope with the pain of lying down any more as it causes the acid to be worse, despite her being absolutely exhausted and needing to sleep.

It’s holding her upright and fighting yourself to stay awake so that she can get the rest she needs and that you so badly crave.

It’s watching her little face light up as she plays and wishing beyond anything else that she could live comfortably.

It’s feeling so bloody proud that she doesn’t cry or moan or complain despite the illness, instead smiling and cooing because she knows no different.

It is all those things and more. And it is, quite frankly, living hell.

]]>http://heelsandhooves.co.uk/the-reality-of-infant-reflux/feed/0Dear Frankie Mabel: Nine months oldhttp://heelsandhooves.co.uk/dear-frankie-mabel-nine-months-old/
http://heelsandhooves.co.uk/dear-frankie-mabel-nine-months-old/#commentsTue, 16 Jan 2018 06:20:51 +0000http://heelsandhooves.co.uk/?p=2239Dear Frankie Mabel Such a boring cliche, but time really needs to slow down. You’re actually nearly 10 months old and I feel we are hurtling towards your first birthday at terrifying speed and in my head you are still...

Such a boring cliche, but time really needs to slow down. You’re actually nearly 10 months old and I feel we are hurtling towards your first birthday at terrifying speed and in my head you are still a tiny baby. You, on the other hand, are still developing and growing up at an alarming rate and are an absolute tonic to have around.

I guess the most positive news over the last two months (sorry, you are the typical second child and I missed your nine month update altogether!) is that we seem to finally be getting a handle on your reflux and allergies and you’ve been so much better in the last few weeks. You still have sick days, but you also have non-sick days in between, which is such an enormous relief, I can’t tell you. There’s absolutely nothing worse than watching your child suffer and not being able to help them.

What hasn’t changed is your sunny personality. You have an enviable lust for life and when you’re awake, you are constantly smiling, laughing, exploring, playing and having fun. Adults could learn an awful lot from your outlook on life. But while you are confident, bright and happy, there is a very sweet, gentle and more cautious side to you when you are faced with new situations sometimes.

Since learning to crawl at six months, there is no stopping you. You are so fast at crawling, you are pulling yourself up on furniture and people effortlessly, which gives you access to, well, pretty much everything you shouldn’t have. You hound Lottie, getting involved in all her games and grabbing her toys. This often ends up in a tug of war, but you are so lucky to have such a tolerant big sister as she never pushes you or hurts you, despite you being the epitome of an annoying little sister at times.

Your relationship with Lottie is definitely blossoming since you’ve become a bit more mobile and interactive. The two of you often laugh together and despite you annoying her regularly, she loves you dearly. She pats you on the head every night when you go to bed. And you still hero worship her. She only has to look at you to make you giggle and smile. It’s so lovely to watch your relationship develop.

You now have five teeth and they are giving you a lot of trouble when they come through, poor lamb. There’s another one literally ready to break through and then hopefully you’ll get a bit of a break. Everything is consequently going straight in your mouth, making photos with milestone cards tricky at best!

Sleep is a bit hit and miss at the moment. We had a period of you sleeping through the night and starting to get up at a reasonable time in the morning, but I think your teeth are starting to bother you at night and we often have a few wakings now. You tend to go back down fairly easily and don’t make too much fuss, so I shouldn’t really complain (but I do, regularly!)

Over the last two months, you’ve been loving:

Clapping – As soon as you hear anyone clap, you immediately join in.

The walker – In order to stop you killing yourself or Lottie, we have a walker to put you in if I need to nip out of the room. You love being able to zoom around the house in it.

Waving – As soon as someone walks into the room, you start to wave.

Cruising – As soon as you are put down, you find something to pull yourself up on and you’re off, exploring.

Your dolly -Your cousin gave you a doll and you absolutely love it. You kiss it and cuddle it, and say ahhhhh every time you see it.

Eating – You’re still at that lovely stage where you will try anything and really enjoy getting stuck in. You won’t eat anything except yoghurt from a spoon, so mealtimes can be rather messy.

The swings – You especially love it if Lottie is on the swing next to you. You think it’s hilarious to watch her swinging past you.

The trolley – You’re up high and can have a good nosey at the rest of the supermarket.

I think the overarching impression of you is a happy little girl. Every day, you make me smile and laugh. You make friends everywhere you go. You go straight into most situations and give everything 100% effort and energy. I could not be prouder of the brave, determined, sweet, fun little person you are growing into. Don’t ever change.

]]>http://heelsandhooves.co.uk/dear-frankie-mabel-nine-months-old/feed/118 for 2018http://heelsandhooves.co.uk/18-for-2018/
http://heelsandhooves.co.uk/18-for-2018/#commentsWed, 03 Jan 2018 23:04:31 +0000http://heelsandhooves.co.uk/?p=2213We’re a few days into the New Year, so firstly, I guess this is as good a place as any to wish everyone a happy and healthy 2018. For the first time in my adult life, I was in bed...

]]>We’re a few days into the New Year, so firstly, I guess this is as good a place as any to wish everyone a happy and healthy 2018. For the first time in my adult life, I was in bed before those bells chimed, but one of my delightful neighbours was kind enough to let off a cacophony of fireworks to ensure I didn’t miss 2017 ending! Which in turn let Frankie know, who decided she was hungry.

I hope your celebrations were more successful than ours.

Anyway, I digress.

It’s been a while since I opened up this site and wrote. Life got in the way in the last few months of last year and I just didn’t find the time or the energy to blog, so when I saw some posts popping up about 18 goals for 2018 and the lovely Amanda invited me to join in, I thought it would be a great way to start writing again and to begin on a positive, forward-thinking post.

I ended 2017 frazzled. That’s the only word for it. I was overtired, stressed, I hadn’t looked after myself, I looked and felt a mess. So I took the last ten days off and focussed on feeling better (as much as you can with two under three in your care). I realised I am no good to anyone around me if I let myself get like that – not to my children, my husband, my family, or friends. And so I’m setting some goals to try and ensure I don’t head straight back there now that I’m back to juggling kids, work and our home while Mr M is at work.

Without further ado, my 18 for 2018 are as follows:

Drink more water – I’m starting with the same as Mrs Warburton. I do think it helps in every area to make you feel and look your best. And I’m dreadful at it.

Worry less – I’m the world’s worst worrier. Mr M does not worry. He’s right that it’s a worthless exercise, and I need to do my best to keep it to a minimum. I definitely get more anxious when I’m tired, so sleeping better is probably part of this too.

Exercise more – Other than walking with the buggy and mucking out every morning, I don’t do any exercise. With our lives the way they are at the moment, I’m never going to be at the gym every day, but I’m going to try and incorporate some short workouts or longer walks into my life.

Snack better – I’m dreadful at snacking on rubbish and I’m sure it’s where the majority of my calories come from. So my fruit bowl is full and I’m going to aim for healthy snacks.

Blog more – Or actually, just blog. I love this little corner of the internet and writing is like therapy for me. It also makes me take more photos and document our lives and I love it for that.

Give the blog an overhaul – I need a new theme, new logo and a fresh look.

Be kinder – Sometimes when your tired and busy, it’s easy to snap, or nag, or think the worst of someone. I’ve got into a snappy habit sometimes and it’s not me. I’m also planning to offer a bit of time to charity this year, but I need to investigate this further. I also plan to be kinder to myself and pamper myself from time to time.

See my friends – I have some of the best friends a girl could wish for and I see so little of them since I had kids. That’s changing this year, girls. I miss you.

Start riding again – I’m ashamed to admit I’ve not sat in my saddle since I was about four months pregnant with Frankie. Mr M has a new job, with more time off, so I’m going to take back some stables time. It’s good for my soul.

Do something new each week with Lottie – When Frankie naps, Lottie and I will bake, or colour in, etc and she just loves the one to one time. We had loads of lovely crafty things for Christmas, so I’m going to try and do a new activity with her at least once a week.

Put my phone down – I’m really conscious as a work at home mum, that my iPhone is rarely far from my hand, so I want to try and put it aside more and watch my children instead. My phone will be there long after they have moved out.

Be a host – we had my mum and dad to ours for Christmas day and it was so nice. I’m quite nervous about cooking for guests, but do you know what, nobody is expecting Michelin-starred meals here, so if we can provide something edible and a glass of something, I think that will do.

Lose weight – about three stone!!

Do up my front garden – It is currently just shingle. So boring and so crap next to all the other lovely gardens on our street.

Get off auto settings on my DSLR – I dabbled into this during maternity leave with some lovely results, I have books, blog articles etc etc, I just need to read and implement them for better photos.

Go on holiday – Our Centre Parcs break was so so nice and I’d love to book another at some point. It’s great to have that time away as a family.

Spend more time with Mr M – We haven’t been out on our own together since January 2017!!

Plan Christmas better – This year was much less last-minute than previous attempts, but there was still room for improvement.

]]>While we were in Center Parcs, Lottie discovered puddles and a passion for splashing in them. Up until recently, she hasn’t really liked getting dirty or wet, or unknown textures, etc, so splashing in puddles was something we really wanted to encourage. So when Bladez Toyz asked if we would like to test out the Teletubbies Inflatable Aqua Mat, we jumped at the chance.

As always, the minute the box was taken out of the packaging, Lottie wanted to have the mat. But it’s so easy to set up that I managed to avoid a tantrum and had the indoor puddle ready in a flash. You just blow up the edge, and fill up to the line with water and you’re ready to play.

Lottie was straight on to the mat, banging it to make the water splash and giggling. She soon realised that this made the little Teletubbies characters wriggle around and she soon calmed down and started pushing them around, fascinated by how they moved in the water.

As with everything in our house nowadays, it wasn’t long before Frankie was on her way over to investigate. I hadn’t realised when we opened the product, that it was suitable for six months and over and I hadn’t really considered it to be a toy that both of the girls could play with, but I was wrong. Both of the girls played with the mat together for ages.

They both got onto the mat, Lottie quite liked sitting on it, and Frankie was lying on it too.

Lots of toys in our house have a bit of a short shelf life, and after an initial excitement with the girls, they tend to clutter up our living room and never really get touched. But the Teletubbies Inflatable Aqua Mat seems to keep its attraction. We store it under the sofa (it’s nice and flat, so stores away easily when the girls have gone to bed), and every time we bring it out, one or both of the girls come over to play with it.

Lottie seems to flip between fun, splashy play, and more quiet, investigative play. She’ll also quite often lie on it to watch TV!

I quite often get the Aqua Mat out when Frankie is getting a bit fretful and whingey as it really seems to calm her down. There are lots of sensory elements to the mat, with the sound of the water, the cool feel of it, and the sight of the characters floating around. It seems to really focus her attention, and quite often comes out in the witching hour.

I love finding toys that have play value for both of my girls. We have so many toys in our house now that we have two children, so anything that entertains them both and means we can have one instead of two toys, is a winner in my eyes. It also means that Lottie can have some splashing puddle fun in the comfort of our own home with none of the mess of water play.

DISCLAIMER – We were sent the Teletubbies Inflatable Aqua Mat for the purpose of this review, but all views are our own.

I think it’s fair to say your seventh month in the world was as full on as the previous ones. You’ve ticked off another list of milestones. You’ve kept me fairly and squarely on my toes (rarely allowing me to get off my feet in fact), and we’re some way, hopefully, towards finding a way to get you better from all of your awful reflux and illness.

I’m going to save the reflux news for another post. I want these updates to focus on your development, you as a little person, and not on the illness that could quite easily define you, as it defines so much of your days. Suffice to say, we took you to see a private paediatrician in the end and you have a diagnosis of gastroesophageal reflux and non IGE mediated allergies. We have a few drugs, a new diet, and an appointment with a dietician sorted for the next few weeks, so hopefully you will start to get some relief soon.

Meanwhile, you decided you were bored of rolling around the floor and quickly decided to sit yourself up, and start to crawl. And once you worked out how to move, there was literally no stopping you.

You’ve now got one of your top two front teeth too, and the other one is very nearly through. The top two have definitely caused you more hassle than the bottom two did. You’ve been chewing on anything and everything, and been really unsettled in general.

But that has worked out fairly well in terms of weaning. You’ve started on solid foods now and so far, you are loving it. We decided to try with baby led weaning and you’ve taken to it like a duck to water. Your sister wasn’t hugely keen on the mess involved, but you get stuck right in and don’t care how far you spread the food. We’re still waiting to see the dietitian so we’ve started with pretty simple things, like fruit and veg and you’re just loving it. You’re not at all keen on using a spoon and would even eat yoghurt with your hands if you possibly could.

We’ve had a bit of a set back with sleep this month, and you’re now back to waking up a few times in the night, and back to your favourite very early morning starts. Your naps are still all over the place, but you are starting to settle much better when you’re tired, which is a big step in the right direction.

This month you’ve been loving:

Exploring – You’re mobile, so you can get to all the nooks and crannies that you’ve been dying to check out for the last six months.

Dogs – Nana and grandad’s dogs were what finally got you crawling. I put you down on the floor, you saw the dog under the table and got so excited to go and see him, that you cracked crawling and went to have a cuddle. We’re really lucky that they are brilliant with children, but I have to keep you in check. You get so excited that you literally grab their faces and throw yourself on them.

Eating – You were really ready to start on solids and so far you’ve tried everything that we’ve put in front of you.

Your walker – You absolutely love zooming around the house in your walker. I think you’d stay in there all day if you could.

Saying dada – All. Day. Long.

Chasing Lottie – Finally, you can get to Lottie. But she’s terrified of you now that you’re crawling, so backs off as soon as you head in her direction.

In the Night Garden – You are mesmerised by In The Night Garden and it’s the only time when you are awake that you will stay quiet and still for any length of time.

The swings – You giggled like a drain on your first go on the swings and you just love going to the park.

Holidays – You went on your first holiday to Centre Parcs and got stuck in to everything there and just loved it, especially the swimming pool.

To be quite honest, Frankie, I’m in awe of you. You are sick and in pain from pretty much the minute you get up every morning until you go to bed at night. Your condition would put most children and in fact most adults into a permanently miserable state. But not you. Your lust for life, your determination and your progress are unfaltering and most of the time you manage that gorgeous dimply smile. You always grin at people when they talk to you, you explore every inch of life and you get great satisfaction from just being alive. You are a delight to have around. Albeit a rather exhausting one.

I think once we’ve got you better, you’re going to be a force to be reckoned with.

]]>http://heelsandhooves.co.uk/dear-frankie-mabel-seven-months-old/feed/0Frankie’s faves: Original Cuddledry towelhttp://heelsandhooves.co.uk/frankies-faves-original-cuddledry-towel/
http://heelsandhooves.co.uk/frankies-faves-original-cuddledry-towel/#respondThu, 19 Oct 2017 05:41:37 +0000http://heelsandhooves.co.uk/?p=2164One of Frankie’s favourite times of the day is bath time. Her and Lottie play so nicely together, splashing and giggling, and it’s a lovely happy way to round off the day. But every parent who has tried to get...

]]>One of Frankie’s favourite times of the day is bath time. Her and Lottie play so nicely together, splashing and giggling, and it’s a lovely happy way to round off the day.

But every parent who has tried to get a slippery, wriggly baby out of the bath, wrap them in a towel to keep them warm and keep themselves dry at the same time, knows that it can be a bit of a logistical nightmare. So one of the products I decided to buy when Frankie was tiny, was the Original Cuddledry towel and it was one of my must have essentials for those first few months.

In fact, we were still using it daily (and desperately trying to wash and dry it in the same day ready for the next bathtime, when Cuddledry contacted us to tell us about their new designs.

To mark ten years since its Dragon’s Den appearance, the company is launching a new Scandi inspired colourways range, with a new Pure White, Natural White with Blue Edging and Natural White with Pink Edging.

We were sent the pink version to review. It might sound a bit irrelevant, but the first thing I noticed, was how lovely the packaging is. I do like a nice box. Which is silly really, as you throw it away as soon as you’ve opened it. But I think the little ribbon handle and window box, would make it a really nice gift for a new baby.

Anyway, I digress.

The first thing that I noticed about the actual towel, is just how sumptuously soft it is. I want an adult version to snuggle up in after a bath. The towel has two layers, one natural cotton and one soft bamboo, which are designed to draw moisture away from the baby and keep them warm. And it really works. By the time I’ve got from the bathroom to the bedroom, with Frankie cuddled up in the towel, she is pretty much dry.

I think the best thing about the Cuddledry towel, though, is how easy it is to get Frankie out of the bath without getting myself soaking wet. You simply do up the poppers around your neck, scoop your baby out of the water, pop the hood over their hair and cuddle them in. Frankie is a wriggly little thing and getting her out and into a normal towel gets everyone in the vicinity soaking wet and she’s so slippery, I feel like I’m going to drop her, so being able to wrap her up easily is brilliant.

Because I’m not soaking wet from getting her out of the bath, and she is warm and dry, the towel makes it perfect for extra cuddles with Frankie, as we’re both comfortable enough to snuggle up. Even if I do enjoy it a bit more than she looks like she is!

Frankie really seems to like the Cuddledry towel and she’s always grabbing it and cuddling up in it after her bath. And I think she looks super cute in the pink version.

And last but not least, I’m really impressed with how well it washes. The towel stays just as soft as it was at the beginning after it’s been washed. It hasn’t bobbled or gone hard like towels sometimes do. And it also dries pretty quickly, ready for the next bath time.

We were sent this towel for the purpose of this review, but all opinions and views are my own.

]]>http://heelsandhooves.co.uk/frankies-faves-original-cuddledry-towel/feed/0A second birthday Zumbini rainbow partyhttp://heelsandhooves.co.uk/a-zumbini-rainbow-party/
http://heelsandhooves.co.uk/a-zumbini-rainbow-party/#respondWed, 11 Oct 2017 05:20:50 +0000http://heelsandhooves.co.uk/?p=2149You may have noticed this blog has been a bit quiet over recent months. Coinciding quite neatly with me having two children to look after and therefore, very little time to do anything else. But I’m slowly getting back into...

]]>You may have noticed this blog has been a bit quiet over recent months. Coinciding quite neatly with me having two children to look after and therefore, very little time to do anything else.

But I’m slowly getting back into a routine now, and, shock, both girls are currently napping at the same time. I doubt I’ll get this post finished before one wakes up, but just overlapping naps is a good start.

Despite not posting on here much though, we’ve had a fun-filled summer and there are a few things I still wanted to share, despite being a little past the occasion. The next of these is Lottie’s second birthday rainbow party.

I’m sure some people would have thought a full-on party was a little over the top for a two year-old, but I’m actually so glad we made the decision to host it.

Lottie is quite a shy little thing and likes things just so. She’s not hugely keen on big crowds or on anything out of the ordinary. So when we discussed what to do to celebrate her second year of life, I immediately put the brakes on Mr M’s ‘BBQ in the garden with all our mates’ idea.

If more than two people turn up at the house, she gets a bit twitchy. If 20+ had arrived, she’d have gone into meltdown. And if we’re celebrating her birthday, the last thing I wanted to do was to upset her.

Her favourite thing in the world is Zumbini. Our gorgeous Zumbini instructor, Ana, runs parties. So to me, that was the perfect plan for her.

For those of you who haven’t heard of, or experienced the wonders of, Zumbini, it’s a class for 0-3 year olds with music, singing, dancing, instruments and lots of fun. It’s genuinely one of our favourite hours of the week!

I decided on a rainbow theme for the food, invitations and decor as it’s bright and happy, just like our little girl, and it kind of matches the Zumbini vibe. In full mummy mode, I entirely forgot to take any pictures of the details, as I was too busy playing host. My lovely brother in law took some awesome photos of the party in full swing, but I’ve had to crop into his shots to show the detail, so excuse the quality of some of the images here.

I put the invitations together on Picmonkey and was really pleased with how they came out (obviously, I’ve taken out the details here).

The food followed the theme, with rainbow fruit skewers (I got the wrong melon, so orange was excluded, much to my dismay, but I didn’t cut into it until 10pm the night before, so it was too late to do anything about it.

The fairy cakes had rainbow laces and rainbow sprinkles. And my piece de resistance was the birthday cake. It doesn’t look much from the outside, but just look at how it turned out inside (huge sigh of relief when I cut into that one.

The decor was minimal as the hall we were in didn’t allow things attached to the walls. The party bags were all rainbow colours and I attached a different coloured balloon to each bag, to make a bit of a feature.

Lottie LOVED the party, She danced to her heart’s content, ate loads and smiled non-stop (once she’d got used to the crowds).

]]>http://heelsandhooves.co.uk/a-zumbini-rainbow-party/feed/0A party dress from The Princess and the Frockhttp://heelsandhooves.co.uk/a-party-dress-from-the-princess-and-the-frock/
http://heelsandhooves.co.uk/a-party-dress-from-the-princess-and-the-frock/#commentsTue, 10 Oct 2017 05:22:16 +0000http://heelsandhooves.co.uk/?p=2134When I start to plan something, I create an image in my head. And then I get to work, somewhat manically on recreating that image down to the finest point. It can get a little obsessive, this attention to minute...

]]>When I start to plan something, I create an image in my head. And then I get to work, somewhat manically on recreating that image down to the finest point. It can get a little obsessive, this attention to minute detail, but it is also intensely satisfying if I manage to recreate that vision and put on the best party, or create the perfect room decor, or head out looking spot-on.

Since having children, this obsession has waned in certain areas (my outfits are more of a what’s clean and ironed decision), but in other areas, it’s gone into overdrive. And that’s mainly when it relates to the girls. Their bedrooms need to be like something from an interiors magazine and their parties need to entertain and delight all of their little guests. And don’t even get me started on their wardrobes.

So when I started organising Lottie’s second birthday, Mr M went off to hide in the corner as soon as the invites were printed.

I had decided on a rainbow theme and I wanted everything to be bright, cheerful and colourful. I’ll share the food, cake, decor etc soon, but today I wanted to talk about her dress.

I spent hours looking for her party dress to no avail. I didn’t want pink and fluffy, glittery, or floral. I wanted something bold, but simple and above all, pretty.

Then I stumbled upon The Princess and The Frock. This gorgeous catalogue of dresses is ethically handmade by a lady called Claire in Lancashire. When I saw how beautiful the dresses were, I expected a huge price tag. When something is so carefully created and beautiful, you assume the price will match, but I was really pleasantly surprised to find that a dress will cost somewhere around the £30 – £40 mark, which I think is really very reasonable. There is also a discount code when you sign up for the newsletter AND free postage.

I chose the Sophia dress, blue with white polka dots, a pleated skirt and a bow on the chest. It was exactly what I’d been looking for.

When it arrived, I wasn’t disappointed, the fabric and finish were beautiful and I couldn’t wait to try it on. But when I did, I was gutted to find it was too short. I emailed Claire to ask to return it and went back to start my search again.

But then I got a reply from Claire to say she would alter the dress free of charge and cover the postage for me to send it back. I was so chuffed, as other than the length, it was just perfect. You couldn’t ask for better service than that. I sent it back and the new, longer dress was back with us incredibly quickly, with a lovely gift enclosed as well to apologise for the inconvenience.

When you buy from a High Street store, you pay a person who really has no interest whether the item is kept, returned, loved or hated. In complete contrast, Claire really cares. She wants you to love the dress, she wants it to be perfect for your little one and will go to any lengths to ensure it is.

Lottie looked gorgeous at her party. She had lots of compliments on her dress and above all, it was comfy to dance and play in and looked as good at the end of the day as it did when we first put it on.

I simply cannot recommend this company highly enough.

*DISCLAIMER* I bought this dress and received nothing in return for this review. I just like to share great products and great companies when I’m lucky enough to stumble across them.

]]>http://heelsandhooves.co.uk/a-party-dress-from-the-princess-and-the-frock/feed/2Our second newborn photo shoothttp://heelsandhooves.co.uk/our-second-newborn-photo-shoot/
http://heelsandhooves.co.uk/our-second-newborn-photo-shoot/#commentsThu, 05 Oct 2017 05:01:19 +0000http://heelsandhooves.co.uk/?p=2109I’ve probably confused you somewhat with the title of this post. I haven’t managed to defy odds and pop out another baby in the space of six months, I’m just a really rubbish blogger and have had this on my...

]]>I’ve probably confused you somewhat with the title of this post. I haven’t managed to defy odds and pop out another baby in the space of six months, I’m just a really rubbish blogger and have had this on my ‘to write’ list for an eternity.

When Frankie was two weeks old we invited the fabulous Jen from Kimber Kreative into our home to capture our new little addition. I’d discovered Jen via a local parents Facebook group and loved what I had seen of her photography. When I contacted her, I was amazed how reasonable her rates were. Rather than a fee for this, a fee for that and extortionate prices for every photo you fell in love with, she offered a flat rate for a newborn photo shoot, with all the digital images included.

We had a photo shoot for Lottie when she was two weeks old and I love the memories and there are some beautiful photos. But Jen’s photography was a completely different experience – a very relaxed and enjoyable hour for us all. And when I saw the shots, I was overwhelmed. In a little over an hour in our company, she captured the essence of each one of us perfectly. And if I could put every single one in a frame, I probably would.

I think it takes a real talent to come into someone else’s house who you have never met before, especially one with a wary and rather shy toddler in it, and make everyone at ease enough to get such great photos. Jen has that skill, as well as an amazing photographic flair, on top of being a genuinely lovely person.

I’ll stop gushing in a moment, and let the photos speak for themselves, but one of the things I wasn’t expecting, but was delighted to receive, was shots of us as a family and of Lottie as a todller, rather than just of Frankie as a baby.